United States v. Guebara , 15 F. App'x 584 ( 2001 )

F I L E D
United States Court of Appeals
Tenth Circuit
JUN 5 2001
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE TENTH CIRCUIT PATRICK FISHER
Clerk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
Plaintiff - Appellee,
No. 00-3048
v. (D.C. No. CR-99-10057-03-MLB)
(D. Kansas.)
ANTONIO GUEBARA,
Defendant - Appellant.
ORDER AND JUDGMENT *
Before BRORBY , McKAY , and LUCERO , Circuit Judges.
Antonio D. Guebara appeals his conviction for conspiracy to possess with
intent to distribute more than 1000 kilograms of a mixture containing a detectable
amount of marijuana, 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 846; four counts of possession with
intent to distribute a mixture containing a detectable amount of marijuana, 21
U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), 18 U.S.C. § 2; and managing a continuing criminal enterprise,
21 U.S.C. § 848. He challenges the district court’s denial of his motions to
*
This order and judgment is not binding precedent, except under the
doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, and collateral estoppel. The Court
generally disfavors the citation of orders and judgments; nevertheless, an order
and judgment may be cited under the terms and conditions of 10th Cir. R. 36.3.
suppress evidence related to his March 23, 1997, traffic stop, to order separate
trials, and to declare a mistrial. Furthermore, he argues that his conviction should
be vacated because the district court unlawfully revoked his bond. Exercising
jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291, we affirm.
I. Motion to Suppress
On March 23, 1997, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Keith Allen was
traveling in an unmarked police vehicle along the Kansas Turnpike with an off-
duty police officer. En route to police training in Topeka, Deputy Allen looked
over at the driver of an Isuzu Rodeo and recognized appellant’s face from mug
shots he had seen in the squad room. Deputy Allen called the Kansas Turnpike
Authority to relay the location of appellant, who he thought was a wanted drug
trafficker, and then called the records section of the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s
Department. From the Sheriff’s Department, he learned that although appellant
had no arrest warrants, he was driving with a suspended license; furthermore, the
Isuzu Rodeo was registered to Andrew Guebara, who did have active warrants
against him. Deputy Allen contacted the Turnpike Authority again and relayed
this additional information. At some point, he saw that there was a passenger in
the vehicle, although he did not identify him.
Meanwhile, Kansas Highway Patrol Master Trooper Jim Brockman was
dispatched to assist Deputy Allen. He was told only that the vehicle might be
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occupied by wanted felon Andrew Guebara. Upon locating the vehicle, Trooper
Brockman ran the license plate, learned that it was in fact registered to Andrew
Guebara, stopped the vehicle, and approached appellant. The trooper asked to see
his driver’s license as well as the passenger’s identification, which were not
produced. As he questioned them to determine their identity, Trooper Brockman
detected an overpowering odor of marijuana. The occupants were ordered to exit
the vehicle, and a search revealed a suitcase containing marijuana. Appellant and
passenger George Guebara were arrested.
The district court denied appellant’s motion to suppress all evidence
stemming from the March 23, 1997, traffic stop. In reviewing that denial, we
accept the district court’s factual findings unless they are clearly erroneous,
“view[ing] the evidence in the light most favorable to the government and the
district court’s findings.” United States v. Anderson , 114 F.3d 1059, 1063 (10th
Cir. 1997). The ultimate determination of reasonableness under the Fourth
Amendment is a question of law to be reviewed de novo. United States v. Toro-
Pelaez , 107 F.3d 819, 824 (10th Cir. 1997).
Traffic stops are seizures under the Fourth Amendment, properly analyzed
as investigative detentions that must be supported by a reasonable, articulable
suspicion that criminal activity is afoot. See Anderson , 114 F.3d at 1063; United
States v. Sokolow , 490 U.S. 1, 7 (1989). As a general matter, an investigative
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detention must be justified at its inception and reasonably related in scope to the
circumstances that justified the stop in the first place. United States v. Sharpe ,
470 U.S. 675, 682 (1985). With respect to the latter requirement, we explained in
United States v. Salzano that
the officer must have an objectively reasonable and articulable
suspicion that illegal activity has occurred or is occurring in order to
justify detaining an individual for a period of time longer than that
necessary to review a driver’s license and vehicle registration, run a
computer check, determine that the driver is authorized to operate the
vehicle, and issue the detainee a citation.
158 F.3d 1107, 1111 (10th Cir. 1998) (quotations omitted).
Knowledge of facts justifying a traffic stop commonly is held by a single
police officer; in limited circumstances, however, a stop may be justified by the
collective knowledge of all of the officers involved in the stop. United States v.
Merritt , 695 F.2d 1263, 1268 (10th Cir. 1982) (“In assessing whether the police
. . . had sufficient justification to make an investigatory stop we must, of course,
look to the knowledge of all the police involved in this criminal investigation
. . . .”). “It is well-established that when an order to stop or arrest a suspect is
communicated to officers in the field, the underlying facts constituting probable
cause or reasonable suspicion need not be communicated, so long as the
individual or agency issuing the order can justify the intrusion on Fourth
Amendment rights.” United States v. Shareef , 100 F.3d 1491, 1503 n.4 (10th Cir.
1996) (citation omitted).
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Appellant contends that the stop was not justified at its inception because
“[w]hen Trooper Brockman stopped the Defendant’s vehicle he had been
informed only that Andrew Guebara had an outstanding felony warrant and that he
might be in the vehicle.” (Appellant’s Br. at 13.) We disagree. Trooper
Brockman was acting on the strength of the dispatcher’s well-informed directive
to assist Deputy Allen in effectuating the stop. The dispatcher knew appellant
was driving the vehicle, that he had a suspended driver’s license, and that the
vehicle was registered to wanted felon Andrew Guebara. These facts easily
evoked suspicion that criminal wrongdoing was afoot, and we can not conclude
that the suspicion was unreasonable.
Furthermore, we disagree with appellant’s contention that the investigatory
detention exceeded the scope of the underlying justification. The stop lasted no
longer than necessary to identify the occupants of the vehicle before Trooper
Brockman detected the strong, overpowering odor of marijuana coming from
inside. Under the circumstances, the search of the vehicle was justified, see
United States v. Downs , 151 F.3d 1301, 1303 (10th Cir. 1998). The district court
properly denied appellant’s motion.
II. Motion for Separate Trials
Of the fifteen defendants charged in the Second Superseding Indictment,
only two, appellant and Alphonso Luna, were actually tried. Luna, who was
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charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute a substance
containing a detectible amount of marijuana, faced the obstacle of explaining how
his fingerprints ended up on three bricks of marijuana found in a co-defendant’s
apartment. His explanation was that he innocently handled the wrapped
marijuana when he visited appellant’s home in Texas.
On the morning trial was to begin, and after the jury had been sworn,
appellant made a motion for separate trials because, he claimed, Luna’s defense
was antagonistic to his own. Appellant’s counsel expressed his concern: “Mr.
Luna is going to testify . . . that he’s seen Mr. Guebara in control of large
quantities of marijuana. I believe that the testimony is going to indicate that Mr.
Guebara was not only conspiring to distribute this marijuana, but was directing
the distribution on that.” (Appellant’s Br. Ex. H at 12.) Appellant did not present
a defense but rather relied on cross-examination of the government’s witnesses;
according to appellant, cross-examination exposed that the testimony of those
witnesses was self-serving, as it was given pursuant to plea agreements
contemplating their assistance. (Appellant’s Br. at 18.)
In ruling on the motion, the district court concluded the risk of prejudice
resulting from joint trial was low given the “mountain of evidence” that would be
presented “to the effect that [appellant] is a kingpin in a substantial marijuana
distribution ring” (Appellant’s Br. Ex. H at 19). The court expressed doubt that
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the defenses were mutually antagonistic because appellant did not plan to present
a defense but rather intended to rely on the presumption of his innocence.
Finally, the court planned to instruct the jury to “give separate consideration to
the evidence as it pertains to each defendant.” ( Id. at 22.) The joint trial
proceeded, and Luna was acquitted.
Joint trials for defendants who are indicted together are preferred because
“[t]hey promote efficiency and serve the interests of justice by avoiding the
scandal and inequity of inconsistent verdicts.” Zafiro v. United States , 506 U.S.
534, 537 (1993) (quotation omitted); see Fed. R. Crim. P. 8(b). Nevertheless,
severance may be appropriate “[i]f it appears that defendant or the government is
prejudiced by a joinder of . . . defendants . . . for trial together.” Fed. R. Crim.
P. 14. To make a showing of “prejudice,” a defendant must show that there is a
serious risk that a joint trial would compromise a specific trial right, or prevent
the jury from making a reliable judgment about guilt or innocence. Zafiro , 506
U.S. at 539. District courts are to consider the circumstances in each case to
evaluate the “risk of prejudice” and fashion “any remedy that may be necessary,”
which may consist of an appropriate jury instruction. Id. at 540–41.
At oral argument, appellant’s counsel recognized that the “standard of
review for matters of severance is pretty strict.” Specifically, he can not prevail
unless “there is an affirmative showing of abuse of discretion.” United States v.
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Morales , 108 F.3d 1213, 1219 (10th Cir. 1997). Appellant further recognizes that
it does not suffice to show that severance would have increased the probability of
his acquittal. See United States v. Dirden , 38 F.3d 1131, 1140 (10th Cir. 1994).
Rather, he must make a “strong showing” of real prejudice. Id.Assuming, without deciding, that Luna presented an antagonistic defense,
we conclude appellant has not made a sufficient showing of real prejudice. In
making its determination, the district court correctly anticipated that the evidence
showing appellant was the leader of a drug conspiracy would be overwhelming.
In addition to testimony of police officials, including undercover investigators,
the evidence consisted of the testimony of appellant’s criminal associates. 1
Given
the “mountain” of other evidence against appellant as well as the district judge’s
cautionary jury instruction, we can not say that the joint trial compromised a
specific trial right—namely, the government’s obligation to prove appellant’s
guilt beyond a reasonable doubt—or that the jury was prevented from making a
1
( See, e.g. , IV R. at 104–25 (testimony of William Goddard that appellant
hired him to transport drugs); id. at 139, 137–54 (testimony of Tony Dawn
Falcon that appellant was a distributor of marijuana and cocaine); id. at 230, 232
(testimony of Eric Day that appellant supplied him and others with cocaine and
marijuana for redistribution on a regular basis); id. at 237 (Day’s testimony
casting appellant as a leader in a drug conspiracy); id. at 280–81 (testimony of
David Nunn that he purchased large quantities of marijuana and cocaine from
appellant for resale during a period of several years); V id. at 462–64 (testimony
of Charles Brunstetter that he purchased a truck from appellant and paid for it by
making marijuana deliveries for him).)
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reliable judgment about appellant’s guilt or innocence. The district court did not
abuse its discretion in denying appellant’s motion.
III. Motion for a Mistrial
At trial, the government played secretly recorded conversations for the jury.
In the recording, a co-defendant stated, “This kid was acting like he wasn’t going
to . . . pay Tony [appellant] for a whole pound of crystal.” (Appellant’s Br. Ex. I
at 1.) “Crystal” was a reference to the controlled substance methamphetamine.
Appellant moved for a mistrial, claiming that the recording violated Federal Rule
of Evidence 404(b) because he was not charged for a crime involving
methamphetamine. The court denied the motion and later instructed the jury to
disregard evidence of uncharged crimes.
In United States v. Gabaldon , 91 F.3d 91, 93–94 (10th Cir. 1996), we
observed that
[w]hile the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure offer little guidance
on when judges should grant mistrial motions, we have focused on
“whether . . . [the defendant’s] right to a fair and impartial trial was
impaired.” . . . Both motions for mistrial and new trial call for an
examination of the prejudicial impact of an error or errors when
viewed in the context of an entire case. This court reviews the trial
court’s ruling on such motions under an abuse of discretion standard.
Id. (quoting United States v. Torres , 959 F.2d 858, 860 (10th Cir. 1992) (further
quotation omitted) (first two alterations in Gabaldon )).
Appellant concedes that the methamphetamine reference was “an oversight”
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by the government (Appellant’s Br. at 22); viewed in context of the entire case,
the prejudicial impact of the government’s “oversight” was not substantial. It is
not clear that the jury even knew to what the term “crystal” referred. Although
the district court did not immediately instruct the jury to disregard the statement,
the court did not do so to avoid calling the jury’s attention to the statement. ( Id.Ex. J. at 400.) “A proper jury instruction was given at the end of evidence”
(Appellant’s Br. at 22), and as previously discussed, the evidence against
appellant was overwhelming for the crimes with which he was charged. We
conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in denying appellant’s
motion for a mistrial.
IV. Bond Revocation
Prior to trial, on September 21, 1999, appellant tested positive for cocaine
use in violation of the conditions of his pretrial release. A magistrate judge
revoked and then reinstated his bond under electronic monitoring and twenty-
four-hour lock down status. On December 30, 1999, Guebara threatened to kill
the “[expletive] judge,” and on January 5, 2000, he removed the electronic
monitoring device from his ankle. (Appellant’s Br. Ex. G.) As a result, the
district court revoked appellant’s bond and remanded him into custody. The
record does not show that the court made specific findings after a formal hearing,
nor does it show that appellant objected to the bond revocation procedure.
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Appellant claims that the possibility of entering into a plea agreement with
the government evaporated once bond was revoked for a second time; had he
remained out of custody, the government would have agreed to recommend a
downward sentencing departure in exchange for his substantial assistance.
Normally, we review legal aspects of bond revocations de novo, United
States v. Dudley , 62 F.3d 1275, 1277 (10th Cir. 1995), but in this case, our review
is limited to plain error because appellant failed to raise and preserve his
objection during the revocation proceedings. “Under [plain error] review, relief
is not warranted unless there has been (1) error, (2) that is plain, and (3) affects
substantial rights. . . . An appellate court should exercise its discretion to correct
plain error only if it seriously affect[s] the fairness, integrity, or public reputation
of judicial proceedings.” Jones v. United States , 527 U.S. 373, 389 (1999)
(citations and quotation omitted).
Bond revocations are governed by 18 U.S.C. § 3148(b), which states:
The judicial officer shall enter an order of revocation and detention
if, after a hearing, the judicial officer—
(1) finds that there is—
(A) probable cause to believe that the person has
committed a Federal, State, or local crime while on release; or
(B) clear and convincing evidence that the person has
violated any other condition of release; and
(2) finds that—
(A) based on the factors set forth in section 3142(g) of
this title, there is no condition or combination of conditions of
release that will assure that the person will not flee or pose a danger
to the safety of any other person or the community; or
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(B) the person is unlikely to abide by any condition or
combination of conditions of release.
Section 3148(b) is silent about the nature of the required hearing. By contrast,
18 U.S.C. § 3142, which governs detention hearings, states that the detainee
“shall be afforded an opportunity to testify, to present witnesses, to cross-examine
witnesses who appear at the hearing, and to present information by proffer or
otherwise”; furthermore, § 3142(i) requires that “[i]n a detention order . . ., the
judicial officer shall . . . include written findings of fact and a written statement
of the reasons for the detention.”
Appellant questions the adequacy of the district court’s bond revocation
hearing and findings and seeks to “be placed back into the position he was in
before the district court improperly revoked his bond.” (Appellant’s Br. at 26.)
We assume, without deciding, that the absence of a formal hearing or specific
factual findings constitutes error. Cf. United States v. Davis , 845 F.2d 412, 415
(2d Cir. 1988). We nevertheless conclude that the procedural error does not
warrant relief because it did not seriously affect the fairness, integrity, or public
reputation of the proceedings. The revocation was amply supported by the
evidence before the court; evidence that appellant cut his monitoring device and
that he tested positive for cocaine use would have supported findings that he had
violated a condition of release and that he was unlikely to abide by any condition
of release.
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V. Conclusion
The district court’s judgment is AFFIRMED .
Entered for the Court
Carlos F. Lucero
Circuit Judge
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